Many members of our Mendoza community have stepped up in extraordinary ways to meet the challenges presented by COVID-19. Today, I want to recognize a remarkable effort to fill in some of the staffing gaps faced by programs and departments across the College due to the hiring freeze.

Thanks to a cross-collaborative effort, more than 25 staff members have been “matched” with projects in other College departments in need of additional resources. Many of them are working on multiple projects. This effort involved a process of directors and staff members working together to identify who had some additional capacity as well as the expertise or talents they could contribute. Kara Palmer also worked with the directors to determine areas where their departments could use additional help. 

The projects span the College, from Mendoza IT to Graduate Admissions and Enrollment. The contributions of these individuals will allow us to tackle key strategic priorities across the College during a time where we have limited resources. 

While the “COVID 19 Special Assignments” project is intended to be an interim solution, the effort is a testimony to the ingenuity and dedication of our staff and the Mendoza community as a whole. My thanks to Kara Palmer for leading the project and to all of you for your continued commitment to teamwork and collaboration.